‘BETTY’ WINS SECOND-UP IN USA Overport Lodge mare Delightful Memphis has become a winner in three countries. The Bettor’s Delight-Memphis Melody mare won second-up in North America on Saturday (NZ time). She settled sixth from the six gate and unwound strongly to win by a length and a quarter in a $14,500 mares pace at Harrahs Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1:51.4 (10ths). Racing as Delightfulmemphisn for the Richard “Nifty” Norman stable, she had finished well for a first-up third at the Meadowlands, New Jersey, on July 20 (race-timed in 1:51). She still holds the NZ 3YO fillies and open mares 2400m …
Tres Vite holds as favourite but spell likely
TRES VITE SCORES THIRD AUSTRALIAN WIN Tres Vite is likely to head the spelling paddock, despite holding off her rivals convincingly as a $2.60 favourite in a C1-2 pace at Albion Park, Brisbane, on Friday night. Burnham trainer, Mark Jones, in Brisbane to put the finishing touches on Tres Vite and The Bus during the Queensland winter carnival, says Tres Vite is looking for a let-up. “She actually went pretty good but now likely to head back to Aaron Goadsby’s farm for a spell in Sydney and have a month or so off,” Mark said. The big Bettor’s Delight-Tres Bien …
Trans-Tasman wins continue for owners
ASHBURTON WINTER CUP FOLLOWS QUEENSLAND OAKS SUCCESS Christchurch owners, Hamish Scott and Dr Kim Lawson, followed up their Gr. 2 Queensland Oaks victory on Saturday night with the Andrew Stuart stable, by also sharing in the success of Sunday Ashburton winner, Si Si Senior, for the Mark Jones stable. The owners co-bred and co-race $75,540 Queensland Oaks winner Sociable, who after being run down in front a week ago, was driven with a sit this week by Luke McCarthy. Sociable, a daughter of the unraced Buy Kiwi Made (Presidential Ball-Kiwi Express), a half-brother to top mare Kiwi Ingenuity (1:52.1), charged …
Fancy Woman kicked off top few days for owner
FANCY WOMAN, CARLAS PIXEL, OUR DREAMLOVER, WIN FOR MARK DENYER Overport Lodge trot filly Fancy Woman, rewarded for consistency with her maiden win at her 13th start at Forbury on July 12, opened a big-winning weekend for Gold Coast owner Mark Denyer. Mr Denyer had a red-letter night at Albion Park, Brisbane, on Saturday night, winning the Gr. 2 2018 Seelite Windows & Doors Queensland Trotters Cup with upset winner, Our Dreamlover, for Victorian trainer-driver, Mattie Craven. Our Dreamlover, who initially won twice in NZ as Dreamlover for the Ken Barron stable, was racking up his 15th win from 49 starts, …
Penalty-free win first-up for owners
HIS ROYAL HARNESS SCORES PENALTY-FREE ADDINGTON WIN Friday the 13th may have been unlucky for some but not for the new ownership group of Addington winner, His Royal Harness, consisting of Mitchell Robertson, Steve Hill, Alastair McLay, Mike Moore and the Fomo (fear of missing out) Syndicate. The former Chris McDowell-trained pacer arrived at the Overport Lodge stables of Mark Jones in fit condition less than a week before delivering first-up in style. Visiting Ardmore horseman Tony Cameron picked up the drive as part of the McMillan Equine Feeds NZ Junior Drivers Champs series and delivered a timely penalty-free win …
Cambridge Jewels 2020 locked in
NZ HARNESS NEWS July 11, 2018 JEWELS RETURNING TO CAMBRIDGE IN 2020 Harness Racing New Zealand announced on Wednesday that the Harness Jewels would return to Cambridge again in 2020. Last month’s edition was held there and HRNZ Chairman Ken Spicer says the board noticed and appreciated the effort the Cambridge staff went to to make it an enjoyable day. “I think the board were conscious that the Ashburton decision had woken Cambridge up and they really upped their ante this year. “For all intents and purposes, we were really happy with the effort they put in. “All in all, …
Ex-Overport Lodge qualifier wins Len Smith Mile
FORMER OVERPORT LODGE PACER WINS LEN SMITH MILE Cruz Bromac, sold to Australian interests prior to qualifying for the Mark Jones stable, captured Gr. 1 glory in the $100,000 Len Smith Mile in 1:50.1 at Menangle on July 1. Now six, the Falcon Seelster-Crown Defender gelding was a late 3YO when he qualified for the Overport Lodge team at Timaru in July, 2015. A month later at his third start when still three to Australian time, he took a 1:51.6 mark at Menangle for the Dean Braun stable. Cruz Bromac won a Casey Classic at Melton, and the Cobram, Hamilton …
The Bus creditable 4th to Ignatius
THE BUS STORMS HOME BUT IGNATIUS TOO GOOD James Rattray can only smile at the thought . . . could he be as good as Beautide ?. Rattray’s superstar three-year-old pacer Ignatius had just blown away his rivals in the NSW Breeders Challenge three-year-old colts and geldings final at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on July 1. Taking his record to 14 wins from 15 starts, the James Rattray trained-and-driven youngster thrashed his rivals with a 1:51.3 mile to score a 12.4m win over Picard with Mackeral one and a quarter metres away third. The first challenge for Ignatius occurred when the …
Trev Vite posts smart rate at Bathurst
TRES VITE RATES 1:55.8 AT BATHURST Tres Vite was untroubled to remain unbeaten in two New South Wales starts for the Mark Jones stable when scoring again, this time at Bathurst on Wednesday, June 27, in a career best 1:55.8 rate for the 1730m. Sent out a $2.70 joint favourite from the inside of the second row, Tres Vite had a super run through early to trail leader The Only Child, who led from the ace. With a sprint lane run for Ellen Rixon in a NSW Rising Stars Heat, she zipped through to win by 2.7 metres from outsiders, …
Whittaker likely to suit USA racing
WHITTAKER LOWERS WINNING RECORD TO 1:52.9, USA ON RADAR Whittaker, who won a Menangle mile on Tuesday in a career best 1:52.9 for the Sydney arm of the Mark Jones stable, is ultimately likely to follow stablemate Delightful Memphis to North America. “I have no real immediate plans for him, but I am looking at moving him onto America, where he’ll do a great job,” Mark said. Whittaker, a Sportswriter entire, aptly re-named by Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie after the later Sydney turf writer Bill Whittaker, is all but a six-figure winner. Tuesday’s win in a moderate $7500 pace …